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February 26, 2013

UEFA deploys Additional Assistant Referees at Under-21 Championship

Pursuant several sources, UEFA has decided to make use of the presence of additional assistant referees (AARs) at June's 2013 UEFA Under-21 European Championship to be held at Israel.

Ilias Spathas will work as AAR in Israel (c) Panionianea.gr

They are going to accompany six already chosen referees (Ivan Bebek - CRO, Serhiy Boiko - UKR, Antony Gautier - FRA, Pawel Gil - POL, Ovidiu Alin Hategan - ROU and Matej Jug - SVN) and eight assistant referees, who are until now unknown. In confiance with sure pieces of information, Greek Ilias Spathas has been confirmed as one of an unknown total number of AARs at the competition. Furthermore, it is said that Kenn Hansen (Denmark), Antti Munukka (Finland), Kristo Tohver (Estonia) and Miroslav Zelinka (Czech Republic) have been nominated, too.

First tested at an Under-19 championship in 2008, additional assistant referees have thus far joined more than 1.000 matches in UEFA's highest competitions, including UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and 2012 UEFA European Championship. They depict the trial to avoid the usage of technological support in football as well as improving referees' decision-taking with the special target of efficiently solving situations on the goalline and in the penalty area in general functioning as a deterrent for possible infringements.

Despite Pierluigi Collina's persistent adulation with regard to the additional assistant referees' application, their decisions' efficiency is in fact controversial.

Ricci as fourth official??? That is not possible. Brazil, especially now as a host, must have a referee on the field. Also, Argentina always has a ref. In CONCACAF, Moreno has done nothing major. Finally, UEFA may have more refs.

Taran appears as a new AR for Vasquez on this list, but apparently there are 3 other ARs on the list of officials invited to the CONMEBOL course. If both are official FIFA documents, why is that difference?

Well l watched it Malenco, less than a match, but in the 1st half had 2 good decisions 3 minutes, it'sa criminal. And so 12 minutes Piqe obvious faul on Ronaldo. 3 minutes later 15 minutes is a good decision on criminal odgwizdanie for Barca was not a faul. In the second half it was situation the controwersial Real in the penalty area, and again a good decision not to grant a 11 for Barca, was not a faul

Thank you for the list, Maia.I will comment it later but the first clear thing is that they asked CAF for trios from the same nation (of course, where it was possible), and for this reason we have seen several changes in this AFCON 2013.CAF had to do choices and they ruled out Damoo (SEY) and Hassan (EGY) in favor of Hmila (TUN) and Samba (SEN).

This may be a controversial opinion, but I really think that the referees in a World Cup should be the best referees in the world and not the least worst referee from some country that never should represent on this level unless FIFA rules said so. Of course, good referees from all confederations exists, but Europe have the best football, so why can't Europe also have more referees represented? You really can't compare the experience that officials who referee the best matches in the world in UCL year after year has gained over the years to anything else. This is just my opinion, and based on your comments after the ranking that was presented in 2012 when you all complained about how almost every referee came from UEFA, I guess you won't agree... Of course, I know how much politics and political decisions that are made on these levels so that what I'm proposing is completely impossible, but I really think that it would be better in general.

Regarding Mallencos performance yesterday - I have only watched some highlights, but two things: 1. For me, a world class decision in the penalty situation in minute 34 when Pedro goes down in the box. At first, it looks like a clear penalty, but the replays shows that he partly is looking for a penalty after getting the ball to far away from himself but most of all, that he dives just one half second before he receives the tackle... Therefore no penalty and for me, an excellent decision. But al though - I wouldn't have complained if he gave a penalty either, based on how stupid the defender acts.

2. Even though I'm a fan of a more lenient style, Jordi Alba MUST have a yellow card for complaints after the situation that Messi runs into the referee during an attack in minute 35. Such behavior, with wild gestures and screaming almost in Mallencos face can never be accepted... But I must add that I really understand why he doesn't give it - the somewhat controversial penalty situation that I described above took place just one minute before this situation and moreover, Mallenco probably felt "guilty" after being in the way for a possible goal scoring situation because he didn't read the game good enough, so he understood why Alba reacted in this way and accepted it at the time. But yeah - I can accept some reactions from players after these type of decisions, but even with the above mentioned in mind, I think that Albas reaction is just too disrespectful and therefore should have been cautioned.

Very good performance by Undiano! He did well by not cautioning Alba. It was a bad positioning of the referee, who interfered with play. I believe he realized the situation and, in those circumstances, he could not caution the player.